Fazel is like an elder brother, says Ajith

CHENNAI: Moments after the end of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 final’s presentation ceremony at the Dome, NSCI SVP Stadium, in Mumbai last Saturday, Jaipur Pink Panthers raider V Ajith Kumar and Puneri Paltan skipper Fazel Atrachali embraced each other.

After exchanging smiles and a few words, Ajith, who played a pivotal role as the secondary raider in Jaipur’s Pro Kabaddi 2022 triumph, put his gold medal around Fazel’s neck.

Their friendship dates back to the U Mumba days, when the veteran Iranian left corner defender was Ajith’s captain in PKL Season 8. While the duo could not strike a successful partnership on the mat, Ajith forged a strong bond with Fazel, whom he refers to as his “elder brother”.

While speaking to the media after coming up with a six-point performance – all raid points – for Pink Panthers in the PKL 9 title decider against Paltan, Ajith did not forget to mention Fazel’s immense contribution in making the ‘champion’ raider he is today.

“Avar oru thangamaana manushan (he is such a nice man). He helped me a lot last season. At this moment, I miss my former [U Mumba] coach Rajaguru Subramanian. But, Fazel is here. He is like my brother. That is the truth,” said Ajith.

“Even my blood-related brother would not have taken such care of me last season. That is how well he took care of me. He taught me a lot. In the first 15-16 matches in PKL 9, I missed a player like Fazel [in my team]. I did not have anyone around me to give me confidence. That was not the case last season,” added Ajith.

“He gave me a lot of confidence even when we lost matches. ‘You go and play your natural game, brother. If you do not pick up points, I will make up for it.’ That is what he used to tell me. As soon as I saw him [after the Pro Kabaddi 2022 final], I wanted to put the medal around his neck. That is why I did, but he returned it.”

‘Tried to support Arjun in best way possible’

Ajith made a slow start to PKL Season 9, but peaked at the right time, when lead raider Arjun Deshwal incidentally suffered a dip in form. The Tamil Nadu player finished as Jaipur’s second best raider with 100 raid points in 21 appearances.

Talking about picking up pace in the business end of the League, Ajith said: “In the first few matches of the season, I could not raid a lot because Arjun did well and scored many points. The team always comes first. We did not look at individual records. We wanted our team to win matches. At one stage, I thought: ‘The team has believed in my abilities, but I am unable to deliver good performances. I am not getting to raid a lot.’ But, I looked at the larger picture of the team winning. I tried to support Arjun as much as I could.”

When asked what the mantra was behind the Pink Panthers team’s success, Ajith replied: “It was only because of our coordination. All the players played well. Not just the players in the ‘Starting Seven’ and on the bench… the entire squad played its part. We played freely and for the team. ‘If you are having the momentum and scoring points, keep going’ – this is what we told each other [on the mat].”